Following the Australian International 3 Day Event last weekend four Australian riders have shot into the 2013 HSBC FEI Classics™Standings.
Craig Barrett is in second place behind the leader Andrew Nicholson, winner of Les Etoiles de Pau in France, although both are on a score of 15.
Natalie Blundell is in fourth place behind second placegetter at Pau, Jock Paget while Murray Lamperd is in 6th place behind Michael Jung, third placegetter at Pau.
Western Australia’s Jessica Manson is in eighth place, behind fourth place getter at Pau, William Fox-Pitt in seventh spot.
HSBC contributes US$ 1 million in prize money over three years, which represents the biggest prize pot on offer in the sport of Eventing on an annual basis. At the end of each season, the five riders with the highest number of points collected among the HSBC FEI Classics™ events (Pau, Adelaide, Lexington, Badminton, Luhmühlen, and Burghley) are awarded prize money as follows:
1st place: US$ 150,000 (Series Champion)
2nd place: US$ 75,000
3rd place: US$ 50,000
4th place: US$ 33,000
5th place: US$ 25,000
William Fox-Pitt was the 2012 Series Champion while last year’s winner in Adelaide, Stuart Tinney finished in fifth place at the end of the season, earning him US$25,000 as well as the prize money gained from winning the event. Certainly a lovely windfall thanks to HSBC and shows why the Australian leg can be influential in the overall Series prize money pool.
Wonder if any of these Australian riders is considering a trip to any of the other five events in the HSBC Classics Series to try and top up their points?
CLICK HERE for full details of the points system and standings after two events
